Aishah Binte Abdullah (Albel) Lead Educational Therapist Bishan Learning Centre Mdm Aishah is a Lead Educational Therapist and a pioneer member of the Maths core team at the DAS. She has 44 years of teaching experience in primary school mathematics as well as 9 years of teaching Mathematics to students at the DAS. She has played a strong role in helping DAS students excel in their school mathematics examinations. She has an Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) and holds a Diploma in Dyslexia Studies and a Cambridge International Diploma for teachers and trainers (CIDTT). In 2017, she successfully completed the 120 hour Certificate in Mathematics Teaching (Primary) conducted by Marshall Cavendish Institute. Besides presenting on Mathematics at the Senia Conference in 2014 and 2016, Mdm Aishah has also presented on Mathematics at the DAS Unite SPLD Conference in 2017. With her team, she has designed the Problem Sums for Upper Primary Mathematics Curriculum to enable DAS students to confidently work out word problems applying appropriate heuristics. Mdm Aishah strongly believes that students learn mathematics concepts readily when Mathematics is made meaningful and fun for them.

Akira Uno PhD. is a Professor of University of Tsukuba and President of Japan Dyslexia Research Association (JDRA). He was a co-founder of JDRA in 2001. He is specialized for reading/spelling development in Japanese and developmental and acquired dyslexia. He is also studying brain dysfunction and structure in children with developmental dyslexia. Most of his foreign PhD students from overseas, such as Tunisia, Philippine, Korea, Taiwan, are studying cross linguistic study among different writing system. From April in 2017, he is also Principal of the experimental Special Needs Education School for Physically Challenged.

Mr. Andy Russell has served as the Centre Director in both the Double Bay and Chatswood Lindamood-Bell® Learning Centres in the Sydney area. He is currently the Centre Director for the Double Bay Learning Centre. Andy has also led Lindamood-Bell Seasonal Learning Clinics in Europe (Geneva, Switzerland), Australia (Melbourne, Brisbane, Windsor, and Darwin), and Asia (Tokyo, Singapore), and is working to expand Seasonal Learning Clinic locations to New Zealand (Christchurch) and other areas in the region. In 2016 and 2017, Mr. Russell was selected to present Lindamood-Bell Professional Development Workshops to educators and practitioners in Singapore and Sydney. He is passionate about helping people reach their potential and has worked directly with hundreds of children and their families to help them improve their language and literacy skills. Andy holds a master’s degree in Special Education from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland. He began his career at Curo Salus in Scotland, an independent school and residential care home for children, where he provided therapeutic intervention. In 2012, Andy joined Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes in Australia and has held many leadership positions including Clinician, Mentor, Consultant, and Associate Centre Director.

Professor Angela Fawcett is a leading international researcher into dyslexia and other development disabilities, encompassing a range of theoretical and applied contributions to this ﬁeld. Her approach is broad and interdisciplinary ranging from child and cognitive development to educational screening and intervention, as well as development cognitive neuroscience. She is the Vice President of the British Dyslexia Association and also the Former Chair and Director of the Centre for Child Research at the Swansea University, UK.

ANGELICA BENSONDirector of International Development, Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, United Kingdom

For the last 21 years, Angelica Benson has worked for Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes - a world leader in research and remediation for specific learning disabilities, including dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder. She has had many leadership roles, including Learning Centre Director, Associate Director of Development, Professional Workshop Presenter and Director of Public Relations. She also served as Project Director overseeing the intervention and research components related to Lindamood-Bell’s participation in a randomized, controlled study of dyslexic students receiving fMRI’s at Georgetown University’s Center for the Study of Learning (featured in the August 2011 issue of NeuroImage). In addition, she has worked with dozens of schools in the USA and UK to implement Lindamood-Bell® research-validated programmes and school improvement models. Angelica Benson is currently the Director of International Development for Lindamood-Bell and is based in their Del Mar, California Learning Centre. She is a frequent Lindamood-Bell representative at national and international conferences, presenting research and information on a variety of topics including reading instruction, dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder, and most recently at New Zealand’s first ever conference on dyscalculia. Angelica holds a Master of Education degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego.

Nur Ashabiena Mohd Ashraff works in the DAS as an Educational Therapist since 2016. Nur Ashabiena graduated from the University of Wollongong (Australia) with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Upon graduation, she has rendered her service to various organizations; she volunteered as a Mind Stimulation Activity (MSA) facilitator with NKF where she created activities that encourage dialysis patients to keep their minds engaged and active during dialysis, she has also worked as a temporary research assistant with NIE where she conducted 1-1 cognitive testing with students age 5 to 6 years old. To ensure that she practices what she preaches, Nur Ashabiena has decided to volunteer as a stroke befriender with SNSA where she conducted counseling sessions for stroke patients at KTPH and TTSH. Her passion in making a difference in the lives of others has led her to join the DAS as an Educational Therapist where she believes that she can make a difference in the lives of children, the future generation. Nur Ashabiena graduated with a Specialist Diploma in Educational Therapy (DAS Academy) and currently, she is also an Educational Advisor (EA). She has been giving support to other Educational Therapists, as well as, conducted training for the new batch of Educational Therapists. Nur Ashabiena is also a member of the Register of Educational Therapists- Asia (RETA).

BETH O'BRIEN (DR)Senior Research Scientist, Centre for Research in Child Development, National Institute of Education, NTU, Singapore

Dr. B.A. O’Brien is a Senior Research Scientist at the National Institute of Education, NTU, Singapore. She heads the Bilingual and Biliteracy Development area within the Centre for Research in Child Development. A cognitive psychologist by training, Dr. O’Brien’s research focus is on reading development from a cognitive neuroscience perspective; in particular, how different types of learners (bilingual, learning-disabled, at-risk) interact with different educational environments and experiences. She has conducted research on developmental dyslexia with multicomponential and technology-based interventions, as well as on the typical development of reading, reading fluency and biliteracy.

Fang-Ju is a Chinese Educational Therapist. She graduated with a Bachelor degree in Chinese literature (National Chiayi University, Taiwan) and a Master's degree in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language (National Pingtung University, Taiwan). In the past she has been teaching mandarin in University and has been a research assistant in Chinese Phonics and Pronunciation.

With both teaching and research experience in Chinese as a second language, Fang-Ju provides a quality service to dyslexic students with passion and inspires them through their Chinese learning journey.

Formerly an educational therapist with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS), Chen Wei Teng is currently a literacy coach at NorthLight School. She works with teenagers with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Speech and Language Impairment, and who often come from challenging and disadvantaged family backgrounds. Wei Teng has also recently published her first children’s picture book which aims to promote inclusivity.

Prof S.H. Annabel Chen is a faculty member in School of Social Sciences with a joint appointment at LKC Medicine, NTU. She is Acting Director of the Centre of Research and Development in Learning (CRADLE), and head of the Clinical Brain Laboratory. Dr. Chen is a clinical neuropsychologist by training and her research applies neuropsychological principles to understand disturbance in brain and behavior using neuroimaging techniques, such as fMRI, diffusion MRI, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), and electroencephalography (EEG), focusing on cerebellar contribution to higher cognition, optimizing cognition in aging neuroscience, and affective neuroscience in learning and translation to education.

Assistant Prof. Aldo Fabi (Inspector Central MPI and Professor, University of Urbino) 1984-1995. Student of Pedagogy University of Macerata (Prof.Michele Corsi) 1995-1998. Adjunct Professor University of Macerata from 1998 to 2000. Associate professor of "General Education and Special Education" University of Macerata 2001-2005. Full Professor of "General Education and Special Education" University of Macerata from 2005 to the present. Educator professional adviser authorized by the Department of Education and Training at the University of Macerata

Dr. Deborah Chua is a Research Associate in the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University. She is currently involved in a project on assistive technology considerations for persons with disability. Deborah has prior experience in the social service sector, and in research in linguistics and applied language studies.

Deborah started working at DAS in 2010 and has been in ELA. Went on to further my studies in 2014 and completed Master of Applied Psychology (Educational Psychology) in 2016. Attained the status of "Registered Psychologist" by the Singapore Psychological Society in 2017.

Dr. Eleonora Palmieri is the Director of Psychological and Pedagogical Victor Center Macerata (Italy) involved in dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism. She is a psychologist, pedagogist andItard Specialist. She works as a researcher at University in Macerata (Italy) concerning Special Pedagogy and disability. She has been involved in international projects as a trainer and she often attends as expert speaker at International Conferences.

She has developed and coordinated partnerships with many experts in different countries, including universities ( Poland, England, Spain, Honk Kong), training organizations, research centre. She is the author of Video Motor Training Itard and Working Method of Champion LIRM ( intensive reading and Speed Motor).

Emilyn is an Educational Therapist who works with both Primary- and Secondary-school-aged students with dyslexia. With her educational background in English (Linguistics) B.A. (Hons.) from National University of Singapore and a Masters in Special Educational Needs (SEN) from University of South Wales, she has an understanding and appreciation for the complexities of the English language and its acquisition and how it impacts learning difficulties. She is also a contributing member of the English Exam Skills Programme team - assisting in the development of the Grammar curriculum and teaching resources.

Elizabeth is an experienced Speech and Language Therapist who has worked with clients across the lifespan from infants to the elderly, in a range of settings including early intervention programs, special schools, rehabilitation centres and residential care homes. She is currently completing a PhD in Psychology at NUS. Her doctoral research focuses on social and communication skills development in 5- to 12-year- old children with autism spectrum disorder in Singapore. Additionally, Elizabeth serves on the Allied Health Professions Council, and is involved in teaching and clinical education for the MSc(Speech & Language Pathology) programme at NUS.

Fumie Shibuya is a Ph.D Student at University of Tsukuba. She is a Speech-language-hearing therapist in Japan and work at LD/Dyslexia centre. She had previously worked at hospital for 8 years, and also did rehabilitation for adult who had the cerebral infarction sequelae such as speech disorder, aphasia, dysphagia, higher-order brain dysfunction, and dementia. She is currently interested in developmental dyslexia and is applying herself to her study.

During my school years, I had great anxiety when I was called to read out loud in class. I did poorly in handwriting competitions, I constantly failed my spellings. I first learnt to spell “fish” only in Primary 3. I knew I was not lazy, but I could not understand why my efforts did not correlate with my test results. It was very disturbing when I couldn’t do well like my classmates. At various points in my life, I began to wonder why I took a long time to read, not remembering new words that I just learnt, or recognise a certain word and then cannot recognise again a few minutes later. I may be a dyslexic who is essentially what I call a “non-speller”, but tha does not mean that I am a “non-learner”. This is who I am, I may be incompetent in some areas but I can excel and be successful in other areas. Starting my own business around 2005, becoming an entrepreneur is a lifeline for me to get through rough patches. I regained my confidence and found my purpose in life and I can use my strengths to do many good things. If you suspect your child rejects reading, get an early diagnosis. Do something early for your child. Personally, I wish I didn’t have to spend so many years in confusion and anxiety.

Geetha Shantha Ram is the Director of the English Language and Literacy (ELL) programmes, which includes the MOE-aided DAS Literacy Programme (MAP) and has led curriculum enhancements for the DAS through the Essential Literacy Approach and the current integrated ELL curriculum. Besides ELL, Geetha oversees the SpLD Assessment Service and Staff Professional Development division. She also heads the DAS Research Committee and is an advisor in the Register of Educational therapists (Asia) (RETA). Formerly, the Assistant Director of the DAS Academy, Geetha trained Allied educators, parents and other professionals and continues to present at conferences, most recently at the 2017 International Dyslexia Association Conference.

Geetha has a Masters in English (NUS), a Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (Distinction) (LMU) and is currently pursuing her doctorate. With over 13 years of experience supporting children and adults in the area of dyslexia, Geetha aims to provide a quality service to dyslexics that searches for and realises their true potential and provides them with a view to appreciate their own unique abilities.

After a decade of running a bookstore that sold children’s books, Gowri Ramanathan realized the growing need for helping children with learning disabilities. In 2002, she joined the Madras Dyslexic Association as a special educator for teaching children at the pre-primary and primary levels. Over the last 15 years she has played various roles from teaching to monitoring & assessing schools to administration. Gowri is currently heading the junior section of Ananya, a project school of the Madras Dyslexic Association. She believes that every child is unique and can be helped to grow to his/her full potential without losing the uniqueness.

Hani Zohra Muhamad is a Lead Educational Therapist and an Educational Advisor (EA). Hani joined the Dyslexia Association of Singapore in 2006 and has over the years been teaching and working with students with dyslexia and other co-morbidities such as ADHD and SLI. As an EA, Hani contributes to the mentoring and training of new educational therapists, as well as support colleagues with challenging students. Hani holds a Masters Degree in Education (Special Education) from Nanyang Technological University (NIE-NTU), a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Management from University of London (UOL) and a Cambridge International Diploma for Teachers and Trainers (Dyslexia). Hani is also a member of the Register of Educational Therapist Asia (RETA).

Harini Mohan is a Special Educator associated with Dyslexia related subjects for over 17 years. She has been associated with teaching children with special needs at middle and senior school levels during the initial part of her career with Madras Dyslexia Association. She subsequently moved on to resource mobilization and conducting awareness sessions. She has been working actively with educational institutions, Governmental agencies and corporates in spreading awareness about dyslexia at a pan India level. She has also worked with NGOs and branches of Rotary International. She has been recognized for her contribution to dyslexia awareness at various forums and is an active speaker on this topic. Her interviews have featured in TV channels and news magazines and newspapers.

Life started out difficult for Heman at a young age. He saw his eldest sister killed right in front of him in a car accident when he was 5 years old. The trauma experienced at such tender years affected him well into adulthood. When Heman started primary school, he realise that he had difficulty coping with schoolwork and lagged far behind his classmates. Instead of slowing guiding him, his teachers just assumed that he was stupid and lazy. They were often visibly frustrated; asking him questions such as “Is your heart here? Are you with me?” It got much worse when he came down with a fever while in Primary 3, which left his left ear half deaf. Being unable to get the right sounds was an obstacle to putting in effort in school. Even though Heman tried his best, his grades were not showing it. When his son was diagnosed with dyslexia, things took a turn. He went onto Google to learn more about dyslexia and realised the signs of dyslexia were exhibited in himself. Through all the challenges that he has faced in his life, Heman does not seem fazed. In fact he sees them all as an opportunity to learn and do better. Heman offers a pearl of wisdom to parents of children with dyslexia: Recognise the child’s strenghts and not just his/her weaknesses. Boost their strength as we strengthen their weakness. Read slowly with your child, you’ll be surprised at what it can do.

Ho Shuet Lian is a Senior Speech-Language Therapist at DAS. She graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Master of Science degree in Speech and Language Pathology. She completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme from the University of Leeds with Distinction. She is a member of Speech And Language Therapy Singapore (SALTS) and is Allied Health Professions Council registered (AHPC). Her work involves providing speech, language and communication assessment as well as intervention services to children with specific learning differences. Her clinical experience includes working with children between the ages of 5 and 16 years. She provides advice and clinical support to educational therapists and newly qualified speech-language therapists at DAS.

Joanne has been in the education field for more than 5 years. With a strong belief that all learners can learn, she joined the DAS to learn the knowledge and skills to support learners with dyslexia. Her passionate interest is in exploring various methods to support her students in their academic achievements. Being part of the academy gives Joanne the opportunity to share her experiences and insights with educators and parents. Joanne is a member of the Register of Educational Therapists (Asia) and is currently pursuing her Masters of Arts in Special Educational Needs. This would propel her further in understanding the field of SpLD and how theory can promote excellence in practice.

John Everatt is a Professor of Education in the College of Education, University of Canterbury, New Zealand. He received a PhD from the University of Nottingham and has lectured on education and psychology programmes at universities in New Zealand and the UK. His research focuses on literacy acquisition and developmental differences, including work considering how literacy difficulties and dyslexia relate to aspects of language, behaviour and emotion.

June has more than a decade of working experience in the field of Specific Learning Difficulties. She is a Fellow with the Register of Educational Therapists (Asia) and a qualified trainer with a WSQ Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA). Previously an educational therapist involved in dyslexia intervention,her earlier experiences augment her current role as a teacher educator and enable her to adopt a grounded perspective in her ideas and approach. June is passionate about making dyslexia work for dyslexics and believes that dyslexia can become their asset if we teach them how. She is committed to empowering parents, educators and schools with knowledge and practical skills so that students with dyslexia can be given the best support to thrive. She is currently pursuing a doctorate degree at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore and the University College London, Institute of Education (IoE) with a special interest in the topic of inclusion of children with mild learning difficulties in mainstream school.

Yun Rui has more than four years of experience in providing intervention for learners with dyslexia in both the English and Chinese Programme team at DAS. Besides teaching, her scope of work includes research in the area of learning difficulties in Chinese, profiling of students, curriculum development and mentoring teachers. She also helps to facilitate and share with school teachers on dyslexia. She is an Associate Fellow with the Register of Educational Therapists (Asia). Her educational qualifications include a BA (Hons) Linguistics and Multilingual Studies (Nanyang Technological University), Postgraduate Certificate in Special Educational Needs (University of South Wales) and Advanced Diploma in Chinese Language Teaching (KLC. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Education at the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. She believes that language learning opens up the horizon of a child and it is vital to teach a child how to learn. She has been co-presenting papers on learning difficulties in Chinese in relation to dyslexia at conferences since 2014.

Fu Yu Kwok is a doctoral candidate in the Psychology Department, and member of the Clinical Brain Laboratory at Nanyang Technological University. Her research revolves around learning disabilities, and the neural substrate of verbal working memory in developmental dyslexia. She has conducted meta-analyses on brain activation (fMRI) differences between dyslexic and typical readers of Chinese, and between dyslexic English versus Chinese readers. Her current work, using an in-scanner Sternberg working memory task, reveals differences in brain connectivity for children with dyslexia and suggests the need for interventions targeting verbal working memory.

Lee Er Ker is a Senior Speech-language Therapist currently practising at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS). He graduated with a Master of Science (Speech and Language Pathology) degree from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and is registered with the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC). His clinical experience encompasses work with both children and adults diagnosed with communication disorders, specific learning disorders, autism spectrum disorder, as well as those with physical and/or multiple impairments. Formerly a qualified mainstream secondary school teacher specializing in the teaching of the English language, he also holds a Master of Arts degree in Applied Linguistics and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education from the National Institute of Education (NIE).

Yimei joined the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) in 2007 with a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) from the National University of Singapore. She recently completed the Master of Arts (Applied Psychology) from the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, and is now a Registered Psychologist with the Singapore Register of Psychologists, Singapore Psychological Society. Other than conducting assessments as part of an investigation process for learning difficulties, she is also involved in the training and supervision of new psychologists at the DAS. Yimei has a keen interest in the area of dyslexia and Chinese. She obtained an Advanced Diploma in Chinese Language Teaching from the KLC International Institute and participated in the initial development of the Chinese Programme at the DAS. The research also brought her to presentations at conferences such as the International Dyslexia Association Conference and the International Symposium on Bilingualism.

A special educator with previous experience in software & technology. Is using this background to coordinate MDA's effort to leverage technology to reach out to larger number of dyslexics- -MDA's key vision. Some of the key projects are :- digitization of MDA's training program,- computerisation of workflow process of student assessment, admission and skill building to get a 360 ° view of the child's progress.- management of resource rooms

Maria De Palma, M.A. Ms. De Palma is an Empower™ Reading Senior Manager and Empower™ Reading Trainer/Mentor for the Learning Disabilities Research Program (LDRP) at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. She has a Masters in Applied Child Psychology and has been with the LDRP team for 22 years. During her time with the LDRP, she has coordinated several systems-based research studies. In addition, Ms. De Palma has been one of the coordinators in the roll-out of the Empower™ Reading program to school boards across Canada. She has also led the expansion of Empower™Reading to a new global partner, the Dr. Anjali Morris Foundation, in Pune India, and has trained and mentored teachers, onsite and remotely, in India to deliver Empower Reading. As well, Ms. De Palma is a trainer and mentor for teachers in Canada in other locations globally.

Lay Choo is a multilingual speaker of English, Mandarin, Malay, Hokkien, and Cantonese. She has worked with families and children with developmental concerns for the past 15 years. She completed her Ph.D. in 2016 at the National University of Singapore (NUS) with Associate Professor Susan Rickard Liow as her main supervisor. For her doctoral research, Lay Choo devised several new screening tools in English, Malay, and Mandarin, and conducted a 3-year longitudinal study of the language and literacy development of 4-6 year-old bilingual children (N=120) in government-aided kindergartens in Singapore.

U.K. Doctoral student Mary Mountstephen has many years’ of experience working in primary, special and international schools.She is the author of books and articles in the field of learning differences and specialises in the non-language indicators of dyslexia. A frequent visitor to Singapore, Mary provides training and support for those working within the early years and primary sector.

Dr. Maureen Lovett is a Senior Scientist in the Neurosciences and Mental Health Program at The Hospital for Sick Children and a Professor of Paediatrics and Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto. She is Founder and Director of the hospital’s Learning Disabilities Research Program. She, her team, and colleagues have contributed to learning disabilities research and practice for more than three decades, creating interventions for children and teens with severe reading disabilities, evaluating their efficacy in controlled designs, and scaling interventions up in school systems.

Ashraf has spent the last 10 years teaching and coaching dyslexics and students with learning differences and is now the Director of Specialised Educational Services. Prior to this, he was appointed as the Assistant Director of Education, taking the lead in various curriculum development projects across the different programmes at DAS. During this time, he also presented numerous workshops and talks to parents, educators and professionals around the island to help spread the awareness of learning differences as well as provide useful and practical strategies for them. Ashraf has a Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, London Metropolitan University and is currently undergoing his Masters in Education (Leadership, Policy and Change) with Monash University. With his training in dyslexia and in Neuro Linguistic Programming, he blends knowledge in these two fields to deliver programmes which emphasises importance on the acquisition of not only the hard skills but the soft skills as well.

Dr Ong started her service as a teacher in two secondary schools in Melaka, after which she served as a teacher-trainer in colleges in Sabah, Penang and Sarawak. Her last post before retirement was as an Associate Professor at the Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. She is now a tutor with Open University Malaysia. Her academic qualifications include PhD in Cognitive Science, MEd (Distinction in Early Childhood and Primary Education), Diploma in Education and BSc (First Class Honours in Physiology).

When Dr Ong first realized that her daughter, then in Primary 4, had been constantly punished by her teachers for repeatedly failing her spelling tests and not doing her homework, she embarked on a journey to seek why an apparently-smart girl was unable to read and write at her age-appropriate level. It uncovered the realization that the patterns of her daughter’s learning difficulties matched her own when she herself was in school. Realizing that there is a great need to raise awareness and understanding of dyslexia in Sarawak, she and a group of parents set up Dyslexia Association of Sarawak in 2005. With her team of dedicated members, awareness and understanding of dyslexia among parents, teachers and the general public in Sarawak has been enhanced, though much work still needs to be done to assist struggling learners in rural and remote areas of Sarawak. Her work to improve education for children with dyslexia and other learning disabilities in Sarawak has been acknowledged by the state government with an award of Meritorious Service Award in 2002 and Social Activist Award in conjunction with the state-level International Women’s Day in 2015. She is also one of the 42 women featured in the book ‘Sarawak Women in Education: Shaping Mind, Body and Spirit’ published by the Ministry of Welfare, Women and Community Well-being, Sarawak in 2016.

PRISCILLIA SHENAssistant Head of DAS Academy, Dyslexia Association of Singapore

Priscillia Shen began her special education journey as an Educational Therapist at DAS and has more than 10 years of experience in the field of special educational needs, especially in dyslexia. Her previous experience working closely with SpLD learners has allowed her to take on a constructive and practical pedagogical approach. She believes in keeping up with current developments in the field to continually refine teaching practices and maintain professional passion. She is also a qualified trainer with the Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) by the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ). While lecturing at the DAS Academy, she is currently pursuing Doctorate in Education (EdD) at the National Institute of Education (NIE) in Singapore and the Institute of Education (IOE) in UK, London. Her research interests are in dyslexia, Chinese language and Mathematics. She has been co-presenting papers on learning difficulties in Chinese language and Mathematics in relation to dyslexia at conferences since 2012.

Rashmi comes with close to 2 decades of teaching experience in History ,Social Studies, Applied History, Archaeology and Tourism at various Schools and also at a University level. She has published research papers at UGC (University Grants Commission) seminars and also written Articles in print media. She was awarded a research fellowship for a year by the Asiatic Society, Mumbai. Rashmi is associated with the Madras Dyslexia Association since 2016 In her current role, she is involved in guiding new parents and coordinates with Media.

Rebecca Yeo is a Senior Educational Therapist and a member of the Maths core team. She has more than 5 years of experience in teaching literacy and mathematics to students with dyslexia. She has contributed to the development of the Essential Maths and Advanced Maths curricular as well as the training of new Math dual specialists. Furthermore, she has conducted student workshops, teacher sharing sessions (TTT) and talks with parents to provide them with strategies to help their children with Mathematics. Rebecca has presented at regional conferences (SENIA, February 2016; February 2017) and a local conference (Unite SpLD, June 2016). Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Psychology from James Cook University, a Postgraduate certificate in Specific Learning Differences from the London Metropolitan University and a WSQ ACTA certification in Training and Assessment. Rebecca is also a member of Register of Educational Therapists (Asia) and is currently pursuing a Masters of Education (Mathematics) at the National Institute of Education (NIE) and a Certificate in Mathematics Teaching (Primary) offered by Marshall Cavendish Institute. She delights in seeing the improvement that her students have made in the programme, and believes that students learn best when Maths is presented in a meaningful way.

Rosalyn Wee is an educator with eight years of experience working with children at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) and an Associate Fellow of the Register of Educational Therapists - Asia. She has a Post Graduate Certificate in Specific Learning Differences from London Metropolitan University, a Certificate in Gifted Education from University of New South Wales, and a Cambridge CELTA. Other than being a Senior Educational Therapist, she is also a certified trainer with a WSQ Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment, and a Curriculum Specialist. Rosalyn is currently pursuing a Masters of Arts in Applied Linguistics at the National Institute of Education, Singapore.

Over the years from being a Montessori teacher to a counsellor at Ananya, her passion for motivating children who are at risk of learning difficulties has grown and she has discovered how unique and special each child is. Her graduation in Psychology has aided her in understanding children by nurturing them in a holistic way. She believes that every day with a child is a new learning.

SATHI MENONEducational Therapist and Educational Advisor, Dyslexia Association of Singapore, SingaporeSathi is a Senior Educational Therapist and an Educational

Advisor (EA) from the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) with over 10 years of experience working with students in mainstream schools and special schools. In the DAS, she supports students with dyslexia in the MOE-Aided English Literacy Programme (MAP) and SES Maths Programme. She also mentors and supports new educational therapists. Her educational qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with Psychology (SIM University), Diploma in Special Education (National Institute of Education), Postgraduate Certificate in Special Educational Needs (University of South Wales) and Certificate in Mathematics Teaching – Primary (Marshall Cavendish). She is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Special Educational Needs (MA SEN) with the University of South Wales (USW) in UK. She is also a member of Register of Educational Therapists Asia (RETA).

Serena Abdullah is the Assistant Director with the English Language and Literacy (ELL) Division overseeing the development and the implementation of the curriculum at the DAS. She is also a Lead Educational Therapist who enjoys working and teaching children with learning difficulties. Her love and passion for teaching has led her to continuously seek new and innovative teaching methods to bring out the potential and self-confidence in her learners. She graduated with a Masters in Education (Curriculum and Teaching) from NTU/NIE and has obtained a Cambridge International Diploma for Teachers and Trainers. She hopes to continue to enhance the Curriculum to ensure that learners from diverse backgrounds or with varying learning needs benefit and learn effectively in class.

Sharon Reutens is a Speech-Language Therapist at DAS. She is a graduate of the National University of Singapore with a Master of Science (Speech and Language Pathology) and is currently pursuing a Master of Social Science (Professional Counselling). Formerly a Human Resources Consultant, she made a mid-career switch to follow her passion of working with children in mainstream schools, with speech and language difficulties. Her clinical experience involves working with pre-schoolers to students in secondary school, both onsite at DAS and offsite at schools. Sharon is registered with the Allied Health Professions Council and is a member of Speech And Language Therapy Singapore (SALTS) and it's Social Communication Special Interest Group.

Sharyfah holds a Master in Special Educational Needs from University of South Wales, United Kingdom. She obtained her Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences at University of Queensland, Australia. Prior to joining DAS, she had worked with students with schizophrenia and mood disorder for a year. She has over 5 years experience in working with students with dyslexia. As an Educational Advisor, her present role focuses on training and mentoring programme to trainee Educational Therapists to ensure a seamless and consistent delivery in the quality of teaching at DAS.

Siti Aishah Shukri is a Senior Educational Therapist and has been teaching children with specific learning differences in DAS for over 9 years. She provides small group intervention in Maths as well as literacy. She is part of the curriculum development for the Maths programme as well as the training of new Math dual specialist in DAS. She has conducted talks and workshops for students and parents, locally and internationally. She is trained in Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) and holds a Post-Graduate Certificate in Specific Learning Differences with London Metropolitan University, UK. She also holds a Certificate in Mathematics Teaching-Primary (Marshall Cavendish). Her works include research of the Maths programme in DAS. Ms. Siti Aishah is also a member of Register of Educational Therapists Asia (RETA). Her teaching philosophy is to teach a child the way he or she learns best.

Soofrina joined the DAS Association in 2012 and is now the EdTech Coordinator for the ELL Division and also a Senior Educational Therapist. Through working with dyslexic learners, Soofrina developed the interest to incorporate educational technologies in the lessons to make the learning and teaching both efficient and within reach for all. Guided by the mantra "As slow as we must but as fast as we can", Soofrina explored classroom differentiation using EdTech tools and now passionately shares knowledge for the professional development of teaching colleagues.

With a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Finance, Soofrina pursued post graduate studies in Special Educational Needs and is currently sponsored by DAS to complete her Master of Arts (Instructional Design and Technology) in National Institute of Education (NIE).

Professor Lin has been worked for the pre-service and in-service special education teachers training in Taiwan for more than 22 years. Currently, she is the chair in the Special Education Department of National Kaohsiung Normal University. She also had been the director of the Special Education Center in the NKNU for 10 years. Professor Lin completed her graduate degrees at the University of Oregon in the USA. Professor Lin has been focus on the curriculum and instruction, especially on Chinese, for the students with LD and mildly disabilities in her college teaching and research. She also serves the president of the Taiwan Academy of Learning Disabilities of 2017-2020. She also provided the teachers training of the special education instruction in the Poland, Macau and Hong Kong for years. She has authored two special education textbooks in Chinese with topics of resource room program and the IEP. She also translated with editor two textbooks from English to the Chinese for the differentiating instruction and the assistive technology.

Sujatha joined the DAS in 2006 as an Educational Therapist and has over the years held the positions of Centre Manager and Resources Manager. Sujatha attained a Master of Education from The University of Adelaide in 2015 and a Bachelor of Business in Accountancy from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in 2001. Her other qualifications include a Cambridge International Diploma for Teachers and Trainers (Dyslexia) and a Diploma in Management Studies (SIM). Sujatha is also a member of the Register of Educational Therapist Asia (RETA).

Susan trained as a Clinical Psychologist in the UK National Health Service after her PhD in Cognitive Neuropsychology (London University). From 1987, she taught modules in abnormal and cognitive experimental psychology, and supervised research on language representation (Mandarin, Malay and English) in the Department of Psychology at NUS. In 2007, she was appointed Director of the MSc (Speech & Language Pathology) Programme: http://www.med.nus.edu.sg/dgms/SLP.shtml. Her main research interests are normal and abnormal language processes in bilingual children and adults, including dyslexia, aphasia and dementia and cross-linguistic processes in spelling.

Suvarna Rekha Chinta is a research scholar at IIIT-Hyderabad and also associated with Moolchand Neuro Center, Hyderabad, India as a consultant psychologist. Involved in research projects and developed tool "Read-Aid" an assistive tool for improving visual attention for dyslexic readers. Formerly employed as a therapist at Lakshmi Neuro Center, in giving cognitive training for post-surgery cases, developmental delayed, autistic and dyslexic children. Also served in an EGPA-PMTCT project for a period of 5 years. Certified trainer for Peer's and ABA. Passionate about exploring the cognitive, perceptual and attention issues associated with developmental disorders.

Ms Swetha Krishna, holds a post graduate degree in psychology with a specialisation in counselling and psychotherapy from the University of Madras. She is also a trained special educator with over 12 years of experience working with children.

For the last 6 years she has been working in the area of multiple intelligence under the mentor ship of Mrs Usha Ramakrishnan and Learning Disabilities under the mentor ship of Mrs. Nirmala Pandit. She along with Ms. Yashodhara Narayanan runs Hydra, a centre for multiple intelligences. Here children are given opportunities to explore their potential intelligences. She also works in the area of Pre primary intervention for learning difficulty.

She is passionate about working with children. She also enjoys doing art projects with her children besides music, baking and cooking.

TAN WAH PHEOW (DR)Manager of the Centre for Applied Psychology, School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore

Dr Tan Wah Pheow is the Manager of the Centre for Applied Psychology, School of Humanities & Social Sciences, at Temasek Polytechnic. He received his Bachelors and Masters in Social Science from the National University of Singapore, and his PhD from Iowa State University. He received Temasek Polytechnic's Teaching Excellence Award in 2012 in recognition of his teaching contributions. Wah Pheow’s diverse research interest includes education, human factors, and behavioural insights. Since 2010, Wah Pheow has collaborated with local researchers and organizations on applied research and translational projects. Recently, he was involved in setting up the Behavioural Insights Collaboratory within Temasek Polytechnic, and in leading and coordinating behavioural insights projects within the polytechnic. In his free time, Wah Pheow loves to play basketball, engage in street photography and creative writing.

Children born after the 1980’s would not recognise the Primary 7 and Primary 8 system, which Mr Aw was a part of. Struggling academically, his teachers commented on his yearly report book that he was not putting in effort and was plain lazy. He was failing so consistently that he had to transfer school, and transfer again to a school that supported Primary 7 and 8 students. After Primary 8, Terran could not qualify for secondary school so he was enrolled into the Vocational and Industrial Training Board (VITB), the predecessor of today’s Institute of Technical Education (ITE). There, his first two years consisted of general skills before he went on to specialise in mechanical fittings. Terran took courses in early childhood movement, and applied the techniques when he taught children gymnastics. Through his job, he met many parents who have come up to tell him that their children have dyslexia. They connect immediately, because Terran truly understands them. At the age of 42, Terran was diagnosed with dyslexia. Though painful to acknowledge but he accepted his problem. And by accepting his problem, he felt more relieved and grateful that he was able to achieve what he has accomplished despite having dyslexia. Now, he sincerely hopes to convey to more children who are facing issues, not to be in despair.

TINA TANVice President of SPARK (Society for Promotion of ADHD Research and Knowledge), Singapore

Mrs Tina Tan, Social Worker, mother of 3 boys (one of them Dyslexic, ADHD and ASD), and Vice President of SPARK (Society for Promotion of ADHD Research and Knowledge). Tina has been an active community volunteer, helping to serve families through her school PSG volunteer work. She is also a free-lance parent trainer for parents with ADHD children, as well as an accredited Triple P Trainer and Facilitator with MSF.

Dr Uma Kulkarni, a pediatrician and a qualified hospital administrator by profession, is the CEO of the Dr. Anjali Morris Foundation (AMF). Having served in the Armed Forces for over a decade, Dr. Kulkarni brings to her work a certain dedication and clarity of purpose and in three years has taken AMF from strength to strength. AMF began its work in Pune in 2003 with the mission of providing academic assistance and support to children who, because of learning difficulties, face multiple challenges in the classroom. Under Dr. Kulkarni’s able leadership, AMF has built-up cutting-edge data based practices in all initiatives. At the current time, apart from providing direct services to struggling students, AMF also provides technical assistance to other educational entities, conducts teacher orientation programs, and spearheads the Pune LD Forum, a collaboration between Pune-based professionals in the field of learning disorders.

Vilasini Diwakar has been working in this field for the past 20 years. She has experience of teaching both the junior children with the remediation using multisensory methods based on Orton Gillingham approach and the preparing the senior secondary children to appear for their NIOS exams. She is a post graduate in English Language and has done her Counselling and Psychotherapy course. She has been associated with MDA since 1997, started off as a special educator for junior students, before becoming coordinator of Madras Dyslexia Association in 2005. She took on the challenge of starting resource room centres in mainstream schools in 2014. She has set up 40 centres in and around Chennai, TamilNadu. She is a faculty in the Teacher Training Activity of MDA and specializes in the "Spelling" segment. She is in charge of the academic content of the latest project undertaken by MDA - Digitization of teaching strategies for SLD students for mainstream teachers.

Yiyao is a Senior Educational therapist with the Das. She holds a Master of Arts in Special Educational Needs from University of South Wales and a Specialist Diploma in Preschool Education. She believes in forming parental partnership and early intervention to maximise every child's potential.

Wong Kah Lai is pre-school programme manager of Dyslexia of Singapore. An enthusiastic and passionate educator with more than twenty years’ experience in the field of early childhood education, Kah Lai taught young children, mentored teachers, supported parents and caregivers in a wide range of setting, from within the classroom to community outreach, while juggling her Diploma in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College, and subsequent Bachelor of Education in ECCE from the University of South Australia. She completed her Masters in Teaching English to Young Learners from the University of York through distance learning whilst working full time as head teacher of a bilingual kindergarten in China.

A/P Wong Meng Ee is Associate Professor at the Early Childhood & Special Needs Education Academic Group at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University. He teaches and researches in special education, focusing on assistive technology, inclusion, visual impairment, disability studies and parent involvement in inclusion.

Yashodhara Narayanan, is trained in the area of child development and has spent over 2 decades working with children of different age groups and intellectual ability. She is one of the few who has the training and expertise around multiple intelligences and has been fortunate to have trained under Mrs. Usha Ramakrishnan, Ex-Chairperson Vidyasagar and Mrs Nirmala Pandit, Chairperson Academics at Madras Dyslexia Association. Yashodhara Narayanan has worked immensely with and nurtured especially younger children to bring up their otherwise latent ability thus giving them a perfect head start to building out their scholastic and co curricular skills. She has worked as a Montessori teacher at Swami Vivekanand School and DAV Lok Puram Public school in Mumbai and Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan in Chennai. Currently she is actively involved in the day to day running of a socially not for profit organization called Hydra, an initiative of Multiple Intelligences Foundation. This initiative aims at bringing out hidden abilities which remain concealed in many children through the concept of multiple intelligence. By way of educational background Yashodhara Narayanan has a post graduation degree in pre primary education from Bombay University and an under graduation degree in commerce.

About DAS

Registered in 1991, the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) is today a vibrant social service organisation with over 250 full-time staff who provide a wide array of services for dyslexics not only in Singapore but in the region.

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